Cindy DeMarco: Taking time for kids

Updated 11:12 am, Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Passion outside work: Volunteering with children. Cindy DeMarco is one lucky Citizens Bank employee. Earlier this year, DeMarco was awarded the Citizens Financial Group's Community Service Sabbatical, which allows her to work at a local nonprofit enterprise for three months while still getting her salary. The Saratoga County resident has always enjoyed volunteering, and she jumped at the chance to apply to the program, which she won competing against other bankers throughout the state, where Citizens has more than 200 offices.

"I was lucky enough to be the winner," DeMarco said. "I'm very happy and excited."

DeMarco, who wanted to work with children, ended up picking CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services, which is based in Clifton Park. Her sabbatical continues through April.

"I go every day, just like a real job," she said.

DeMarco spends the early part of the day in the office, and in the afternoon she goes to CAPTAIN's outreach center at the Turf mobile home community in Clifton Park, where she works with students after they get home from school. She gives the kids a snack and then helps them with homework.

"It's a nice place for them to get help," DeMarco said. "It's a nice program."

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DeMarco's boss, CAPTAIN executive director Sue Malinowski, is thankful for DeMarco's presence, especially since times are so tough in the nonprofit world and volunteers are like gold right now. Malinowski said she wasn't award of the Citizens program until she got a call one day out of the blue.

"Cindy is so dedicated," Malinowski said. "She's been such a great help."

DeMarco says she's also learned a lot herself from the experience -- especially from the children.

"I can't imagine it won't impact everything in my life," she said. "I just really love the kids. It's so refreshing to work with them."

DeMarco says she could never have dedicated so much time to volunteering without the Citizens program, but she says that Citizens has always encouraged giving back.